1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the use of nucleic acid probes to identify analytes in a sample and more particularly to the use of metastable nucleic acid monomers that self-assemble upon exposure to a target analyte.
2. Description of the Related Art
Single stranded DNA is a versatile material that can be programmed to self-assemble into complex structures driven by the free energy of base pair formation. Synthetic DNA machines can be powered by strand displacement interactions initiated by the sequential introduction of auxiliary DNA fuel strands. Typically, various DNA strands begin to associate as soon as they are mixed together. Catalytic fuel delivery proves a conceptual approach to powering autonomous DNA machines by storing potential energy in loops that are difficult to access kinetically except in the presence of a catalyst strand.